Disinfectant apparatus.



l'. D. RAFORTH. DISINFEGTANT APPARATUS PPLIUTION FILED FEB. 15. 1909Patented July 6, 1909.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK D. RAFORTH, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO LORENZO O. HILLYARD,OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

DISINFECTANT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Application filed February 15, 1909. Serial No. 478,050.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK D. RA- Fon'rn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resid.- .ing at Dubuque, in the county of Dubuque and State ofIowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DisinfectantApparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to improvements in portable disinfectantcontainers adapted to discharge the disinfectant, a drop at a time, intoa closet, sink or other place'to be disinfected and which will alsoadmit of vaporization of a sufficient quantity of the disinfectant topurify the adjacent contaminated air.

The invention is illustrated inthe accomianying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, Fig. 2 is a verticaltransverse section. through the same showing the lid open. Fig. 3 is avertical section through the inner disinfectant containing vessel, andFig. 4 is a perspective view of the absorbent mantle which surrounds theinner vessel.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates an outer easing of metal or other`suitable material provided with a closed bottom and having a series ofperforations 3, disposed about its upper portion.

2 is the hinged lid or cover adapted to close the easing. Any suitablemeans may be provided in connection with the casing` for securing thesame in position above a closet, sink, or the like.

Located centrally within the casing 1, is a generally cylindricalimperforate vessel 4, provided with a flaring flange 5, at its upper endadapted to center said vessel 4, within the casing 1, so as to leave anannular space between the walls of the two vessels. The vessel 4 isimperforate as to its body portion and is adapted to contain a quantityof disinfectant in liquid form. Enveloping the cylindrical exterior ofthe vessel 4 is a mantle S of absorbent material, adapted to take up andhold a quantity of liquid and give the same off slowly by evaporation.It will be noted that while the mantle 8 surrounds the inner vessel 4,there is still left a considerable space between the outer casing andthe mantle to admit of circulation of air in the casing and theresultant evaporation and escape of the disinfectant through theopenings 3, in the casing 1.

Secured to the inner Wall of the vessel 4 is a tube 7, and adjacent tothe upper end of this tube, the rim 5 of the vessel 4 is notched out asat 6. Upon the interior wall of the casing 1 there is mounted a tube 8,the lower end of which is contracted and passes through the bottom ofthe easing 1, in the form of a drip nozzle 9. Passing through the tube7, so that its lower end extends to the bottom of the vessel 4, is anabsorbent Wick l0, which passes through the notch 6, and thence into thetube S, the intermediate portion of the wick, where the same passesthrough the notch 6, engaging the edge of the absorbent mantle 8 asclearly indicated in Fig. 2.

The operation of the device as hereinbefore described, is as follows:When the disinfecting fluid is poured into the inner vessel 4, the wick10 becomes saturated with the fluid and conveys the same by apillaryaction upward through the tube 7, and thence downward through tube 8,whence it is discharged in the form of drops from the discharge nozzlef). Since the tube 8 and its drip nozzle f) are somewhat longer thantube 7, and the nozzle 9 is lower than the intake end of tube 7, the twotubes and the wick produce a siphoning effect in withdrawing thedisinfectant from vessel 4. Inasmuch as the wick 10 where it passesthrough tube 7, into the tube 8 engages the mantle 8, the latter is keptsaturated with the disinfectant, but does not take vup sufficient liquidto cause the latter to accumulato in the bottom of 'the easing l.. Onthe other hand, the large exterior surface of the mantle d permits afree evaporation ollv the disinfectant absorbed by said mantle, thevapors passing ofl through the openings 3. It has been found that thespace between the casing 1 and the inner vessel 4 does not, under anyconditions of use, become filled with the disinfeeting liquid, for thereason that the Siphoning effect ofthe wick 10 in the outer tube produces a sufiieiont draft to prevent an excess of fluid passing to mantlei", thereby leaving practically all of the surface of the mantle exposedto the air for causing an efficient evaporation of the disinfectant.

What I claim is z- 1. In a disinfecting device, the combination of anouter casing perforated in its upper' portion, an inner imperforateliquid containing` vessel, an absorbent mantle enveloping said innervessel, a drip tube in the outer casing, and a Wick having its endswithin the inner vessel and the drip tube respectively, and anintermediate portion in engagement with said mantle.

2. In a disinfecting device, the co1nbination of an outer casingperforated in its upper portion, a liquid containing vessel centrallyspaced within the outer casing to provide an annular space within thelatter', a tu bular absorbent mantle enveloping the inner vessel, a driptube in the outer casing, and a wick having its ends within the innervessel and the drip tube respectively, and an intermediate portion inengagement with said mantle.

3. In a disinfeeting device, the combination of an outer casingperforated in its upper portion, a liquid containing vessel centrallyspaced within the outer casing to provide an annular space within thelatter, a tubular absorbent mantle enveloping the inner vessel, a driptube in the outer casing, a wick retaining tube in the inner vessel, anda wiel; passing through said wick tube and into said drip tube with theportion between said tubes in engagement with said mantle.

ll. In a disinfecting device, the combination of a perforate outercasing, an inner imperfoi'ate liquid-containing vessel, an absorbentmantle enveloping said inner vessel, and means which transmits theliquid from the inner vessel to the mantle at the exterior of saidvessel and from which the liquid drips directly out of the casing.

5. In a disinfecting device, the combination of a perforate casing, aninner liquidcontaining vessel, an absorbent mantle located in the spacebetween said casing and vessel and isolated from the body of liquid inthe latter, and means which transmits the liquid from said vessel to themantle at the upper portion of the latter and from which the liquiddrips out of the casing.

6. In a disinfecting device, the combination of a perforate outercasing, an inner imperforate liquid-containing vessel, an absorbentmantle enveloping said vessel, an upright drip tube in the outer casingleading out of the latter, and a wick which enters the liquid vessel,lies across the upper edge of said. mantle, and discharges into saiddrip tube.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.A

FRED, D. RAFORTH.

llitnesses LoUrs TRUEB, C. I-I. FUGENBAUM.

